Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-04-10
THE HOST RECEIVES HIS VISITOR.
could you get q living at that? l ex'

claimed.
Easier than you think" he replied,
land for one fond of outdoor pedestrian
ism it is not as laborious as porting all day
over q desk, particularly after you have
got over the sacrifice OF sell-respect and
dignity"
IAN amateur beggar! you interest me %
"You get a good many Tebufs and
refusals, but if twenty out OF a
hundred give you a nickel each you have
81. Now l can live comfortably on 81
day-in this quarter OF the town."
And you are your own MASTER" l
laughed.
And boss, too.'
"And can make your own hoursF
"Yes," be assented, "but in begging,
as in everything else, thrift is only
achieved by industry, and the beggar
must always be on the go. Tramp, tramp,
tramp, from morning to night, in storm
ana in sunshine-eyeryb body, excepting
indeed the competing Deggar, is your vic
| tim-client, | should say. You can form
no Idea Of the persons who will listen to
your appeal. Those whose benign cOun-
tenance certainly leads you to believe
that they will listen to your heartrending
story hurry by, ignoring you, while the
one least promising will stop, hear you,
sympathIZe with you and give you some
thing. There is consequently an excite
ment incidental to the pursuit that can
be only appreciated by the initiated"
aIl?" ~, '.',.
mo" he replied, musingly; ''early and
late, always on the go. The moderately
crowded thorou ghfare, when the people
are not in too great a hurry, yields the
best; large crowds are no good, Harvest
time is the midnight when there are many
jewellers about, VINO are inclined to be
sympathetic and generous, and not to
critically examine their small change.
The hour when the crowd is hurrying
home to dinner is propltious tor pitiful
story of starvation. Built ls impossible
to calculate on tickle humanity, and some
days, without any apparent reason, the
public will GOt,giys, up cent, and then
the beggar, Unless be has some change in
his pockets, has to go TO bed or resort to
degradation OF begging food in the area
ways. Still, by industry, an enterprsing
and intelligent street Deggar can get
along very comfortably in large city
like New York, even If he has only few
routes, as the large floating population
keeps the streets continually filled with
strangers"
81 suppose you had different story for
each onep
"No, because you might run against
the same person twice the same
day, and ten chances TO one
he would rudely remind you that you
mad told a different story before,
which would stamp you as an impostor
OF course the story has to be changed
with the seasons and various circum-
stances, but the same one must be told as
long as it goes. You know 1t is not good
plan to change horses while crossing the
stream"
''Do mott mean did not you expert
ence any trouble with the pOliceW
Yes, yes; but they will be indulgent
unless you are TOO fresh. l mean they
used to be; for you know now am speak
ing OF my past llie."
Il am glad to see by your surround
ings that you are doing much better
now"
He did not reply, but l could detect a
covert smile through his flowing beard,
which &c nursed atiectionately.
II take it, / said, that you are now
established in business"
~ I?' he exclaimed. 81 am pro-
lessor Of anatomy. L write on the sub
ject."
"Ahp' / explained.
"There is not harder working mau in
this city than | am ia my line. l consider
l earn every cent receive"
BY this time the dinner was finished,
and pull on the Dell brought the waiter
up with the cafe nOire. L was provided
VITA cigars and my friend accepted one
from me. Finding we had consumed
more time at dinner than We could spare,
we hastily drained our coffee and depart
ed for the theatre. My interesting friend
confessed that it had been long time
since he had attended the theatre { be-
cause his professional engagements kept
him occupied). He was very much in
terested with the performance and
evinced a knowledge OF all the localities
revealed. He displayed in his ofiuand
criticisms knowledge of human nature
and character that would nave been IN
valuable to dramatist, and 1t was clear
that he derived MS information from per-
sOnal contact with the world, Which he
solemnly declared was not so bad as gem
orally depicted.
Alter the theatre we walked up town
together and prevailed upon him to take
oysters ana beer with me. In vain | en-
deavored TO get him 10 talk again about
himself, buthe could not be drawn out.
When 1 arrived at my corner or, at all
events, the one he thought ought 10 take
to my hotel, he stopped, put out his hand,
observing:
"Well, you will return to your West
ern nome and more than likely we Snail
never meet again. l have 10 thank you
for very pleasant evening"
l perceived TN ~ he wanted to get rid Of
me aud lett him, and ne disappeared in
the shadows Of the night.
When walking in the dusk the next
twilight l encountered my friend attired
IN his old suit, with unkempt hair and
beard, industriouslY pursuing hls "pro-
iessiOn." avoided him, aud went to the
saloon and lett word ! would call later in
the evening, wishing 10 identify him in
his professional attire beyond any ques-
ton. Judge my surprise when | iouad
hIm awaiting in his room to receive me,
e gar IN hand, hre blazing In the CRATE,
and wearing his best suit as il 10 We're
not sucn. lie evidently regarded tuis
visit as an intrusion, lie begged me TO
forget bis idle tal6 Of the night 0c,Ore,
and sought % convey the impression
taat be- h4d an income IRON the "ofIef
sid" Independent OF his professional
eafnings.
1 left him regretting that ! had in
truded upon him. He must nave met
amorphU5ed himsclt again the mOmsnt
/ lett, Tor little while after. wniieBtrUil-
lns on Fourteenth street, between Third
avenue aud Broadway, discovered him
soliciting aims, lpurpOsely placed my
sell ln MS way, pretending not 60 Fseot.
ME uim, ana be- probably feeling secure
10 consequence, bispeied 10 ms ear a
pitliul ta.e oil hunger ADD sickness. I
gave bin 4 biz brown silver dollar,
WHICH ~ sUrIrls8d bim tbat be- was dts-
concerted, our eyes metz there WaH Hu